Samoan New Zealanders are

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

n immigrants in New Zealand, their descendants, and

New Zealanders New Zealanders ( mi, Tāngata Aotearoa), colloquially known as Kiwis (), are people associated with New Zealand, sharing a common history, culture, and language (New Zealand English). People of various ethnicities and national origins are citiz ...

of Samoan

ethnic An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

descent. They constitute one of New Zealand's most sizeable ethnic minorities. In the 2018 census, 182,721 New Zealanders identified themselves as being of Samoan ethnicity with 55,512 stating that they were born in

, and 861 stating that they were born in

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...

History

Overview

The country of

(distinct from

) has a unique historical relationship with New Zealand, having been administered by New Zealand from 1914 to 1962. Notable levels of Samoan migration to New Zealand began in the 1950s. In the 1970s, Samoan illegal immigrants were the targets of notorious " dawn raids" by the police, which led to accusations of ethnic bias in tackling illicit immigration. That same decade, some Samoan New Zealanders joined the newborn

Polynesian Panthers The Polynesian Panther Party (PPP) was a revolutionary social justice movement formed to target racial inequalities carried out against indigenous Māori and Pacific Islanders in Auckland, New Zealand. Founded by a group of young Polynesians on 16 ...

, an organisation dedicated to supporting

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

New Zealanders, for example by providing information on their legal rights. The number of Samoan-born residents in New Zealand doubled to over 24,000 during the 1970s. In

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, Samoan communities developed in inner city suburbs, such as Ponsonby,

Freemans Bay Freemans Bay is the name of a former bay and now inner city suburb of Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand. The bay has been filled in to a considerable extent, with the reclamation area now totally concealing the ancient shoreline. Hist ...

and

Grey Lynn Grey Lynn is an inner suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located to the west of the city centre. Originally a separate borough, Grey Lynn amalgamated with Auckland City in 1914. Grey Lynn is centred on Grey Lynn Park, which was not part of the ...

. By the mid-1970s,

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...

caused Samoan communities to relocate to more distant suburbs, such as

Māngere Māngere () or Mangere is one of the largest suburbs in Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on mainly flat land on the northeastern shore of the Manukau Harbour, to the northwest of Manukau City Centre and 15 kilometres south of ...

and

Massey Massey may refer to: Places Canada * Massey, Ontario * Massey Island, Nunavut New Zealand * Massey, New Zealand, an Auckland suburb United States * Massey, Alabama * Massey, Iowa * Massey, Maryland People * Massey (surname) Educati ...

. Grey Lynn continued to have a large Samoan population until the mid-1980s. In 1982, a number of Samoan-born residents were granted citizenship with the ''Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act''. Samoan immigration in New Zealand has subsequently been regulated by quotas. Since 2002, 1,100 Samoans are granted entry each year. In the 1980s, figures from the Samoan community became nationally recognised New Zealand celebrities, such as

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player Michael Jones, who grew up in

Te Atatū South Te Atatū South (also written as "Te Atatu South") is a residential suburb in West Auckland, New Zealand. Its location allows the suburb easy access to the city and Henderson town centre. Its elevation allows views back on to the city and Wait� ...

. In 1993, Samoan-born

Taito Phillip Field Taito Phillip Hans Field (26 September 1952 – 23 September 2021) was a Samoan-born New Zealand trade unionist and politician. A Member of Parliament (MP) for South Auckland electorates from 1993 to 2008, Field was the first New Zealand MP of ...

became the first Pasifika

member of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP), when he was won the Otara electorate seat for

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

. Samoan New Zealanders, compared to other groups such as

Dutch New Zealanders Dutch New Zealanders are New Zealanders of Dutch ancestry. Dutch migration to New Zealand dates back to the earliest period of European colonisation. The 2013 census recorded 19,815 people born in the Netherlands and 28,503 people claiming ...

who immigrated to New Zealand at the same time, retain a large number of

Samoan language Samoan ( or ; ) is a Polynesian language spoken by Samoans of the Samoan Islands. Administratively, the islands are split between the sovereign country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language, alon ...

speakers.

Demographics

The 1874 census recorded 6 Samoans in New Zealand. Numbers have increased steadily ever since, to 279 in 1936, 1,336 in 1951, 19,711 in 1976, 24,141 in 1981, and 47,118 in 2001. There were 182,721 people identifying as being part of the Samoan ethnic group at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, making up 3.9% of New Zealand's population. This is an increase of 38,583 people (26.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 51,618 people (39.4%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. Some of the increase between the 2013 and 2018 census was due to

Statistics New Zealand Statistics New Zealand ( mi, Tatauranga Aotearoa), branded as Stats NZ, is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the collection of statistics related to the economy, population and society of New Zealand. To this end, Stats ...

adding ethnicity data from other sources (previous censuses, administrative data, and imputation) to the 2018 census data to reduce the number of non-responses. There were 91,443 males and 91,275 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.002 males per female. The median age was 22.8 years, compared to 37.4 years for New Zealand as a whole; 62,688 people (34.3%) were aged under 15 years, 50,229 (27.5%) were 15 to 29, 59,859 (32.8%) were 30 to 64, and 9,942 (5.4%) were 65 or older. In terms of population distribution, 64.9% of Samoan New Zealanders live in the Auckland region, 27.0% live in the North Island outside the Auckland region, and 8.1% live in the South Island. The

Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local board area Māngere-Ōtāhuhu is a local government area in Auckland, in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It is governed by the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board and Auckland Council. It is within the council's Manukau Ward. Geography The area includes the sub ...

of Auckland has the highest concentration of Samoan people at 26.8%, followed by the

Ōtara-Papatoetoe local board area Ōtara-Papatoetoe is a local government area in Auckland, in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It is governed by the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board and Auckland Council. It is within the council's Manukau Ward. Geography The area includes the subur ...

(24.2%) and the Manurewa local board area (19.7%).

Porirua City Porirua, ( mi, Pari-ā-Rua) a city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand, is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. The name 'Porirua' is a corruption of 'Pari-rua', meaning "the tide swee ...

has the highest concentration of Samoan peoples outside of Auckland at 16.1%. The

Kaikōura District The Kaikōura District is a territorial authority district in Canterbury Region on the South Island of New Zealand. The district encompasses the eponymous town of Kaikōura, a number of small towns and settlements and the surrounding rural area ...

had the lowest concentration of Samoan people at 0.2%, followed by the

Gore Gore may refer to: Places Australia * Gore, Queensland * Gore Creek (New South Wales) * Gore Island (Queensland) Canada * Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community * Gore, Quebec, a township municipality * Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manitouli ...

, Queenstown-Lakes,

Southland Southland may refer to: Places Canada * Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Southland Region, a region of New Zealand * Southland County, a former New Zealand county * Southland District, part of the wider Southland Reg ...

and

Waimate Waimate is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand and the seat of Waimate District. It is situated just inland from the eastern coast of the South Island. The town is reached via a short detour west when travelling on State Highway One, the main No ...

districts, all at 0.3%. A majority of New Zealanders of Samoan ethnicity today are New Zealand-born. At the 2013 census, 62.7 percent of Samoan New Zealanders were born in New Zealand. Of the overseas-born population, 84 percent had been living in New Zealand for at least five years, and 48 percent had been living in New Zealand for at least 20 years. At the 2013 census, 63.8 percent of Samoan New Zealanders were in the labour force, of which 15.3 percent were unemployed. The large employment industries of Samoans were manufacturing (17.3 percent), health care and social assistance (9.1 percent), and retail trade (8.7 percent).

Culture

In 2013, 56% of ethnic Samoan New Zealanders were able to speak the

. As of 2018, Samoan is the third most-spoken language in New Zealand, behind

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

. Samoan cultural values, the "Samoan way of life" ('' fa‘asamoa''), are reportedly retained particularly by elderly members of the community, and include respect and mutual help within the

extended family An extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family of parents and their children to include aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins or other relatives, all living nearby or in the same household. Particular forms include the stem ...

('' ‘aiga''), as well as ''fa‘alavelave'' (ceremonial and family obligations), and attendance at a

Christian church In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a synonym fo ...

. In 2013, 83.4 percent of Samoans affiliated with at least one religion, compared with 55.0 percent for all New Zealanders. Traditional

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...

ing (''tatau'') is embraced by some Samoan New Zealanders, both men and women, as an expression of cultural identity. Samoans have contributed significantly to New Zealand culture in the fields of

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

and

sport Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...

Notable Samoan New Zealanders

Arts

Aaradhna Aaradhna Jayantilal Patel (born 20 December 1983), better known by her stage name Aaradhna, is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, musical recording artist. She made her musical debut in 2004 featuring on the single "Getting Stronger" with the g ...

– R&B artist (Samoan mother, Indian father) *

Frankie Adams Frankie Adams (born 3 January 1994) is a Samoan New Zealand actress, best known for her roles as Bobbie Draper in the science fiction television series ''The Expanse'' and as Ula Levi in the prime-time soap opera ''Shortland Street''. Early li ...

- actress *

Adeaze Adeaze are a New Zealand R&B/soul duo comprising brothers Nainz and Viiz Tupai. The group's debut album, ''Always and for Real'', was released in 2004 and topped the album chart in New Zealand. History Brought up playing music in the church, t ...

– R&B Group Name of 2 Artists, Guitarists & Vocalists – Nainz Tupa'i & Viiz Tupa'i *

Nick Afoa Nick Afoa (born 1986 in Auckland) is a New Zealand tenor and former New Zealand age grade rugby union footballer of Samoan and Croatian heritage. Early life He grew up in Mangere and Papatoetoe. He was educated at Calvin Christian School, St Peter' ...

- singer *

Alex Aiono Martin Alexander Aiono (; born February 16, 1996) is an American singer, record producer, and actor from Phoenix, Arizona. Aiono is known for his videos on YouTube, which have amassed over 1 billion views, and his social media presence with upwa ...

– singer/producer (Samoan-New Zealand father) *

KJ Apa Savae Keneti James Fitzgerald Apa, Moata'a (born 17 June 1997) is a New Zealand actor, singer and musician. He has received List of awards and nominations received by KJ Apa, various accolades, including a Saturn Award and nominations for an MT ...

– actor (of paternal Samoan descent) *

Tusiata Avia Donna Tusiata Avia (born 1966) is a New Zealand poet and children's author. Background Avia was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her father is Samoan and her mother is Palagi (New Zealand European). Avia graduated from the Unive ...

- author *

Teuila Blakely Teuila Blakely (born 12 January 1975) is a Samoan-born New Zealand actress, best known for her roles in ''Shortland Street'', ''Sione's Wedding'', '' Sione's 2: Unfinished Business'', '' Filthy Rich'', and ''Power Rangers Beast Morphers''. Ear ...

- actress *

Jackie Clarke Jacqueline Emma Clarke (born 1966) is a New Zealand entertainer, singer and comedian. She was a judge on ''New Zealand Idol'' in 2005. In 2016, she was named Top Female Artist by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand. In the 2018 Birthday ...

– actress, comedian *

Joseph Churchward Joseph Churchward (20 August 1932 – 26 April 2013) was a Samoan New Zealander, Samoan-born New Zealand graphic designer and typographer. He is known for having designed an estimated 690 original typefaces, many of which are in use around the ...

– graphic designer *

David Dallas David Keith Dallas (born 28 August 1982) is a hip hop artist from New Zealand of Samoan and European descent. Early career Dallas began his rapping career under the name Con Psy as a part of the duo Frontline, a producer and MC group along wi ...

– rapper (half Samoan) * Iosefa Enari – opera singer *

Eteuati Ete Etuate Ete (born ~1962) is a New Zealand-based actor and comedian best known as one half of the Samoan duo Laughing Samoans. Biography Ete was born in Samoa and moved to New Zealand with his parents at the age of 12. He was one of the first Pac ...

– comedian ( Laughing Samoans) *

Daniel Faitaua Daniel Faitaua (born 11 May 1976) is a New Zealand television news reporter of Samoan descent. He was the ''1 News'' Europe correspondent, based in London, from 2019 to 2022 and was previously newsreader on '' Breakfast'' and ''1 News At Midday ...

– news presenter (born in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

) * Tulele Faletolu – worship leader/singer *

David Fane David Rodney Fane (born 28 December 1966) is a New Zealand actor of Samoan descent. Early life and education Fane was educated at St. Pauls College in Grey Lynn. Career Fane got into acting quite late and trained at the New Zealand Drama ...

- actor * Tofiga Fepulea'i – comedian ( Laughing Samoans) *

Fatu Feu'u Fatu Akelei Feu'u (born 1946) is a noted Samoan painter from the village of Poutasi in the district of Falealili in Samoa. He has established a reputation as the elder statesman of Pacific art in New Zealand. Biography Feu'u emigrated to Ne ...

– painter *

Sia Figiel Sia Figiel (born 1967 Apia, Samoa) is an American contemporary Samoan novelist, poet, and painter. Early life Sia Figiel grew up amidst traditional Samoan singing and poetry, which heavily influenced her writing. Figiel's greatest influence a ...

– novelist and poet *

Mario Gaoa Mario Gaoa (born 1971) is a New Zealand actor, writer and director, best known as a member of the Naked Samoans comedy group. He is of Samoan descent. As part of the group he has appeared in the film Sione's Wedding; provided the voices of ...

– actor, writer and director *

Dei Hamo Sanerivi "Sani" Sagala (born 24 August 1974), better known by his stage name Dei Hamo, is a New Zealand hip hop artist, producer and director. Dei Hamo, which can be translated as "The Samoan", has won various awards for his chart-topping music a ...

– rapper *Jamoa Jam – vocal

quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...

* Bob Jahnke - artist *

Jay'ed Jade Goto (born 16 September 1981), better known by his stage name Jay'ed (stylised as JAY'ED), is a Japanese R&B singer-songwriter who debuted under Toy's Factory in 2007 and is most known for his single with Juju, "Ashita ga Kuru Nara" which ...

– singer/songwriter *

Kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...

– rapper/songwriter *

King Kapisi Bill Rangi Urale is a New Zealand-Samoan hip-hop artist. Music career He was signed up as an artist with Festival Mushroom Records (NZ). In 2000 he released his critically acclaimed debut album ''Savage Thoughts'', followed by a second album, ...

– hip hop artist *

Freddie Keil Freddie Keil was a musician most notable as a member of The Keil Isles in New Zealand in the 1950s and 1960s. The former dry cleaner was born in Western Samoa and was part German. He migrated to New Zealand. In the 1950s he joined cousins Olaf, ...

– musician *

Oscar Kightley Oscar Vai To'elau Kightley (born 14 September 1969) is a Samoan-born New Zealand actor, television presenter, writer, journalist, director, and comedian. He acted in and co-wrote the successful 2006 film ''Sione's Wedding''. Biography Kightley ...

– actor, writer and television presenter *

John Kneubuhl John Alexander Kneubuhl (July 2, 1920 – February 20, 1992) was an American Samoan screenwriter, playwright and Polynesian historian. He wrote for American television series such as '' The Fugitive'', ''Gunsmoke'', ''The Wild Wild West'', ''Star ...

– television writer *

Beulah Koale Beulah Koale () is a New Zealand actor best known for portraying Officer Junior Reigns in CBS reboot series ''Hawaii Five-0''. Early life Koale was born at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland, and was raised in the nearby suburb of Otara. Koale wa ...

- actor *

Ladi 6 Karoline Fuarose Park-Tamati (born 7 November 1982), known professionally as Ladi6, is a New Zealand recording artist of Samoan descent. She spent six months living in Berlin and touring Europe in both 2010 and 2011. Her debut album ''Time Is N ...

– singer/MC *

Jay Laga'aia Jay Laga'aia (born 10 September 1963) is a New Zealand-Australian actor and singer. He is known internationally for his role as Captain Typho in the films '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' and '' Star Wars: Episode III – Rev ...

– actor *

Jawsh 685 Joshua Christian Nanai (born 5 November 2002), better known as Jawsh 685, is a New Zealand beat maker and music producer. While a student at Manurewa High School, in South Auckland, New Zealand, he made his breakthrough with the 2020 siren jam s ...

– record producer *

Lily Laita Lily Aitui Laita (born 1969) is an artist and art educator in New Zealand. Laita is of mixed Pākehā and Māori ancestry (Ngāti Raukawa), as well as of Samoan descent. Laita is known for using Māori, English and Samoan texts in her paintings ...

– painter and ceramic sculptor *

Nathaniel Lees Nathaniel Lees is a New Zealand theatre actor and director and film actor of Samoan descent, best known for film roles in ''The Matrix Reloaded'', ''The Matrix Revolutions'' and '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' and for starring in ''You ...

– actor *

Andy Leleisi'uao Andy Leleisi’uao (b. 1969) is a New Zealand artist of Samoan heritage known for his modern and post-modern Pacific paintings and art. He was paramount winner at the 26th annual Wallace Art Awards in 2017 and awarded a Senior Pacific Artist Awa ...

- artist *

Jonathan Lemalu Jonathan Fa'afetai Lemalu (born 1976) is a New Zealand bass baritone opera singer. Born to Samoan parents who had emigrated to New Zealand, he was educated in Dunedin. His first singing teacher was Honor McKellar, who began teaching him while ...

– Grammy winning opera singer *

Stacey Leilua Stacey Leilua (born 1982) is a New Zealand actress and producer. Since the early 2000s she has regularly acted in Pasifika theatre in New Zealand and was a founding member of the Kila Kokonut Krew. She has played Ata Johnson, the mother of Dw ...

- actor *

Pua Magasiva Pua Magasiva (10 August 1980 – 11 May 2019) was a New Zealand actor of Samoan descent, best known for his roles as Shane Clarke, the Red Ranger from ''Power Rangers Ninja Storm'', and Vinnie Kruse in the soap opera ''Shortland Street'', both ...

– actor and radio presenter *

Robbie Magasiva Robbie Joseph Magasiva (born 21 May 1972) is a Samoan-New Zealander actor who has starred in several films and as a member of the Naked Samoans comedy troupe. He has also appeared on television and in theatre, and was the co-presenter of New Z ...

– actor *

Rose Matafeo Rose Catherine Lettitia Matafeo (; born 25 February 1992) is a New Zealand comedian, actress, and TV presenter. She was a writer and performer on the New Zealand late-night comedy sketch show ''Funny Girls''. In 2018, she won the Edinburgh Comed ...

– comedian (Samoan father) *

Naked Samoans The Naked Samoans is a New Zealand comedy group made up of Polynesian entertainers, most of whom are Samoan. The group performs social humour and satire that attracts a broad audience, especially among white New Zealanders, without sacrificing th ...

–

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

group *

Rene Naufahu Rene Naufahu (born May 1970) is a New Zealand actor, screenwriter and director. Career Naufahu is perhaps best known for being an original cast member of the New Zealand soap opera '' Shortland Street'', playing paramedic Sam Aleni for the show ...

– actor, screen writer and director *

Chong Nee Matakite John Chong Nee, better known by his stage name Chong Nee, is a New Zealand hip hop and R&B singer-songwriter and producer. Widely regarded as one of New Zealand's top musician, he has produced songs for many New Zealand artists includ ...

– hip hop and R&B writer, producer and singer *

Louis Sutherland Louis Sutherland is a New Zealand film, television and advertising director and actor. He is of Samoan and Scottish descent, and based in Wellington. Sutherland studied at Toi Whakaari (The New Zealand Drama School, Wellington) where he wor ...

– director, actor, two-time winner at Cannes Film Festival *

Savage Savage may refer to: Places Antarctica * Savage Glacier, Ellsworth Land * Savage Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Savage Ridge, Victoria Land United States * Savage, Maryland, an unincorporated community * Savage, Minnesota, a city * Savage, Mi ...

– rapper *

Scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of automatic printing. The profession of the scribe, previously widespread across cultures, lost most of its promi ...

– rapper *

Tusi Tamasese Tusi Tamasese (born in 1975 or 1976 in Samoa) is a Samoan New Zealander film director. He is of high chiefly descent, of the Tupua Tamasese lineage. He came to New Zealand at the age of 18 with the intention to go to university, but, lacking a ...

– film director *

Michel Tuffery Michael "Michel" Cliff Tuffery (born 27 May 1966) is a New Zealand artist of Samoan, Tahitian and Cook Islands descent. He is one of New Zealand's most well known artists and his work is held in many art collections in New Zealand and around ...

– painter and sculptor *

Lani Tupu Lani Tupu (born Auckland, New Zealand), billed variously as Larney Tupu, John Tupu and Lani John Tupu, is a New Zealand-born actor of Samoan and English descent. Also known as Lani Tupu Jr. Biography Tupu was born in 1955 to an English mother ...

- actor *

Jared Turner Jared Turner (born 12 April 1978) is a New Zealand-born Australian actor, best known for his roles as Ben Maddox in ''Go Girls'' and as Ty Johnson on the television series, '' The Almighty Johnsons''. He is also recognised on New Zealand TV scre ...

- actor (Samoan mother) *

Sima Urale Sima Urale is a New Zealand filmmaker. Her films explore social and political issues and have been screened worldwide. She is one of the few Polynesian film directors in the world with more than 15 years in the industry. Her accolades include th ...

- film director and screen writer *

Tha Feelstyle Kas Futialo, known by the stage name Tha Feelstyle, is a New Zealand hip hop artist of Samoan descent. His first album was ''Break It To Pieces'' in 2004. Tha Feelstyle was born in Samoa and moved to New Zealand in the 1980s. He raps in English a ...

– hip hop artist, rapper *

Rosita Vai Rosita Vai (born 4 June 1981) is a New Zealand singer who rose to musical fame as the winner of the second season of ''New Zealand Idol'' in 2005. Now married, she is also known as Rosita Gibbons. Prior to her win, Rosita managed to stay out of ...

– pop and R&B singer *

the Yandall Sisters The Yandall Sisters were a popular New Zealand-born Samoan all-female singing group of the 1970s, who made a major contribution to music in New Zealand. The members of the group were Caroline, Mary and Adele Yandall, and later younger sister Pauli ...

– singers *

Albert Wendt Albert Tuaopepe Wendt (born 27 October 1939) is a Samoan poet and writer who lives in New Zealand. He is one of the most influential writers in Oceania. His notable works include ''Sons for the Return Home'', published in 1973 (adapted into a ...

– writer *

Emily Williams Emily Williams (born 8 October 1984) is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame in 2005 on the third season of ''Australian Idol'' and became the runner-up of the competition. After ''Idol'', Williams signed with Sony B ...

– singer

Sports

Maselino Masoe Maselino Francis Masoe Fao (born June 6, 1966 in Apia, Western Samoa) is a retired Samoan boxer who represented American Samoa at three Olympics starting with the 1988 Summer Olympics. As a professional, Masoe made history becoming the first Sa ...

– Boxer (middleweight, Former World Champion) * Joseph Parker – Boxer *

David Tua Faumuina To'aletai Mafaufau David Tua (born 21 November 1972), best known as David Tua, is a Samoan-New Zealand former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2013. A highly ranked heavyweight contender for most of his career, Tua was kno ...

– Boxer *

Rodney Reid Rodney Ernest Reid (30 July 1939 – 12 May 2022) was a New Zealand association football player who represented New Zealand national football team, New Zealand at international level and played first-class cricket for Wellington cricket team, We ...

- Soccer player, New Zealand *

Murphy Su'a Murphy Logo Su'a (born 7 November 1966) is a former New Zealand cricketer, who played 13 Tests and 12 One Day Internationals for New Zealand. He is the 1st Samoan born cricketer to play test cricket for New Zealand. Murphy Su'a played for the A ...

– Cricketer, New Zealand *

Ross Taylor Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor (born 8 March 1984) is a former international cricketer and former captain of the New Zealand national team. Batting predominantly at number four, when he announced his retirement from international cricket at ...

– Cricketer, New Zealand *

Beatrice Faumuina Beatrice Roini Liua Faumuina (born 23 October 1974 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a former New Zealand discus thrower. Career Faumuina was a gold medallist at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics. She has represented New Zealand in four Su ...

– Discus thrower (Former World Champion) *

Mark Hunt Mark Richard Hunt (born 23 March 1974) is a New Zealand former mixed martial artist and kickboxer of Samoan descent, currently living in Sydney, Australia. Hunt competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) until 2018 and was the winn ...

– Kickboxer in K-1 / mixed martial artist in Pride FC &

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Ray Sefo Ray Sefo (born 15 February 1971) is a New Zealand fight promoter and retired kickboxer, boxer, and mixed martial artist of Samoan descent. He was the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 Runner Up, is a six-time Muay Thai World Champion, and was an eig ...

– Kickboxer in K-1 * Robert Whittaker – mixed martial artist * Cheree Crowley - Wrestler *

Rita Fatialofa Rita Taimalietane Fatialofa-Patolo (née Fatialofa, born 1963) is a Samoan sportsperson who played netball and softball for New Zealand. Biography Fatialofa-Patolo attended Lynfield College in Auckland. She played for the New Zealand nat ...